Leaky Pen Sends King Charles Over the Edge: ‘I Can’t Bear This Bloody Thing’
The first real challenge of the monarch’s reign has been ink, with another clip going viral over the weekend of Charles furiously gesturing to an aide to move a pen box and inkpot.

Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images
A light internet roasting is the price one must pay for relatability, as the newly-minted King Charles II is quickly discovering. In recent days, the English monarch has come up against a fiendish enemy, one that threatens the very sanctity of his short reign: fountain pens. The king became visibly angry on Tuesday as he attempted to sign a visitor’s book during a visit to Northern Ireland’s Hillsborough Castle, exclaiming, “I can’t bear this bloody thing… every stinking time.” His wife and queen consort, Camilla, remained calm during the emergency, tepidly observing, “Oh, look, it’s going everywhere.” Frazzled by the malfunction, Charles also got the date wrong, before being corrected by an aide. He previously did battle with his inky foe on Saturday, before the Accession Council in the State Apartments of St. James’ Palace, when a visibly irritated Charles gestured furiously to aides to shift an inkpot and pen box off a small desk so he could sign the Accession Proclamation. For those keeping score at home, that makes it 2-0 to the writing implements.
"I can't bear this bloody thing!": King Charles' signing ceremony at Northern Ireland's Hillsborough Castle made one thing clear – even royalty can't escape the frustration of an inadequate pen. pic.twitter.com/nzygNTLslX
— CBS News (@CBSNews) September 13, 2022
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